Respiratory Syncytial Virus, or RSV, is not new. Symptoms resemble the common cold and typically clear up in 1-2 weeks, so most years it blends into the range of cold-weather viruses that bring us cough and congestion.
On Monday, October 25, 2021 the CDC published an update to the Interim Clinical Considerations for Use of COVID-19 Vaccines with a focus on Booster Dose. Below are answers to commonly asked questions.
Your initial vaccination offers strong protection against the COVID-19 virus, and are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death, even against the widely circulating Delta variant. However, public health experts are starting to see reduced protection, especially among certain populations, against mild and moderate disease.
Dr. Adam Weston, an infectious disease specialist at Lowell General Hospital and a clinical leader in the hospitals’ pandemic response discusses the latest updates on 3rd dose and booster shots as well as the outlook for COVID-19 this fall.
Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases throughout the Commonwealth, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has released updated visitor policy guidance for hospitals.
As the demand for a large-scale regional mass vaccination site diminishes in Greater Lowell, Lowell General Hospital will shift its Mass Vaccination Program into normal hospital operations at its Saints Campus beginning Tuesday, June 22.
Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and Massachusetts Department of Public Health directed providers to pause the administration of the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) COVID-19 vaccine as they investigate reports of blood clots in six women who received the J&J vaccine. None of these cases appear to have occurred in Massachusetts.
On Monday, Feb. 8, Lowell General Hospital will shift its COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Program to Cross River Center, 1001 Pawtucket Blvd. East, in an effort to expand its efforts to vaccinate individuals included in Phase 1 of the state’s vaccination guidelines as well as those 75 and over.
Lowell General Hospital received its first delivery of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, December 18, morning and began staff vaccination clinics the next day.
In response to the state’s request to provide additional patient capacity in the region, Lowell General Hospital is working with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and UMass Lowell to recreate an Alternative Care Site at UMass Lowell’s Campus Recreation Center.
With COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations rising steadily across Greater Lowell, Lowell General Hospital and Circle Health have made the difficult decision to restrict visitors at all locations inpatient and outpatient locations, effective at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18.